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Commission backs Murchison and Davis bike concepts, splits on Truesdale
Summary
Burlingame commissioners voted to approve staff’s buffered‑bike concept for Murchison Drive (adding a center left‑turn lane by modestly narrowing buffers) and unanimously approved Davis Drive improvements; they deadlocked 2–2 on whether to build bicycle lanes on Truesdale Drive, leaving that item unresolved for council review.
BURLINGAME — After hours of public testimony and technical questions, the city commission voted to advance revised bicycle and pedestrian designs for two streets and left a third undecided.
Commissioners on the panel approved staff’s recommended design for Murchison Drive — a buffered bicycle lane scheme — but added a condition calling for a center two‑way left‑turn lane achieved by slightly reducing bike‑lane/buffer widths. Commissioner Israelite moved the measure, saying the change balances cyclist protection with turning and emergency access needs; Commissioner Brown seconded. Vice Chair Kouchi opposed. The motion passed 3–1.
The vote formalized a compromise staff had floated during the presentation: keep the visible buffer between parked cars and riders while reclaiming a small amount of striping width to create a two‑way left‑turn lane in the commercial portion of Murchison. Staff told commissioners the bike lane itself would remain approximately six feet wide with a three‑foot buffer on one side and a two‑foot buffer on the other; staff also promised to refine turn‑radiuses and driveway treatments in final design.
Commissioners split on Truesdale Drive, a corridor serving hospitals and long‑term‑care facilities. The chair and one other commissioner voted to include a limited bicycle facility between El Camino and California and remove a west‑of‑El Camino segment from the project; two commissioners opposed citing ambulance and multi‑lane emergency access concerns. The motion failed on a 2–2 tie; staff will record the split in the packet to city council.
On Davis Drive, commissioners adopted staff’s phased approach — green sharrows, edge striping, quick‑build bulb‑outs and a high‑visibility crosswalk at Marco Polo — by unanimous vote. Commissioners requested staff study adding a temporary or permanent physical bump‑out and assess whether a speed cushion should be introduced later after monitoring speeds.
The public speakers were sharply divided. Parents and school safety advocates urged stronger, protected lanes and a more direct two‑block connection between existing bike facilities; nearby residents and hospital‑area stakeholders warned against lane reductions that could impede emergency vehicles and remove much‑used on‑street parking.
Next steps: staff will incorporate the commission’s additions and objections into a written recommendation and submit the package to city council for its review and final decision.
